Man Accidentally Shoots Self, Wife During Gun Safety Discussion

A Tennessee man accidentally shot himself and his wife Thursday during a discussion at their church about gun safety concerns.

A Tennessee man accidentally shot himself and his wife Thursday during a discussion at their church about gun safety concerns.

Local news station WATE reports that the man and his wife, whose names have not been released, were attending a social club meeting at the First United Methodist Church in Tellico Plains. The club is unaffiliated with the church itself.

During the discussion, one attendee pulled out his own gun to show others. The exact details of how the gun went off are somewhat unclear.

Tellico Plains Police Department Chief Russ Parks told the Knoxville News Sentinel that the man pulled the trigger after declaring the gun was unloaded — apparently forgetting he had just loaded it. However, Zillick said that the man accidentally squeezed the trigger while pulling the gun out of his pocket.

When the gun went off, the bullet hit the man’s right hand before going through his wife’s abdomen and forearm. The husband and wife, both in their 80s, each suffered from injuries that were not life-threatening.

Parks told ABC News that the man was carrying the gun legally and that no charges will be filed.